Activites for 4yr olds in WInchester/Andover area?

[lulupop]

Hi all,

I am moving soon, from Kent to Hampshire. After a painful divorce, I have to relocate with my 2 kids (aged 4 and 2), to be closer to my parents. We have great friends where we are, and my 4yr old son is very upset that he will soon be leaving all his friends and familiar activities. My current home town seems very well set up for families, with a couple of soft play centres, an excellent leisure centre, and good parks. I am moving to a village near WInchester, but have not found any soft play centres near there, and am worried about how I'm going to keep my 4yr old cheerful and active, and hopefully meeting new friends. Anyone from round that area have any suggestions for me? Thanks

Depends where you are, but North Waltham has a mother and toddler group called Puddleducks which could be a good place to start - if for nothing other than some information - let me know if you need details -

good luck with the move Lulu...I'm not a million miles away from winchester, and have just discovered Marwell Zoo, absolutely fantastic for kids. It is expensive for a visit but I believe you can get an annual pass for you and your 4 yr old for about £60 (your 2 yr old would be free I think). Just for one visit it was £23 for the two of us so a yearly pass is a bargain.

It's a fab day out, with a little train you can ride and there're plenty of picnic areas. I went with my 3 yr old Ds and we really loved it. It was so good that we are thinking of having Ds' fourth birthday there!

Sorry, can't advise re soft play places in that area though..Have you looked at www.hants.gov.uk, which will give details of local leisure centres?

meant to say, if your parents are quite local to your new location, they could check out the local library, which should have local playgroups advertised?

I live a few miles from Winchester and I have a 2yr old ds. There is a soft play centre (I think) at Wincheter Leisure Centre, also Creepy Crawlies on a Friday morning. Further out in Chandlers Ford there is a fabulous soft play centre called Kids 2 day (great cake and coffee too!!!!!!!!) They do a toddler time on Tuesday mornings from 10-12 and all other times are open to all. Serendipity Sams in Romsey is also another soft play centre - but not quite such nice coffee or cake!!!! Romsey Rapids (leisure centre) is fantastic and your four year old will LOVE IT! There is plenty here. If you want to get in touch I will give you my e-mail and we can meet up after you have recovered from the move. Am also a single mother

Thanks all, that sounds good. We have done Marwell and it was great, but as you say, expensive. Where I am now we have some play centres where it's just £3.50 a session and that gives me somewhere to go with them on rainy days when we're tired of being at home.
The place in Chandlers Ford sounds a bit like that, Berniebear - I'll look it up and also look you up once in situ! Any more places to go/things to do round there?

Southampton has the ususal sea/ferry links to Isle of Wight, always good for a day out. Also Southampton has dry ski slope, running track, boating lakes. Calshot has ski slope, canoeing, dinghy sailing. Good access to beaches (summer!) Eastleigh have now said they are having a cinema, bowling alley etc about to be built. There is an ice rink somewhere, not sure where though. Paultons Park in Romsey (although a little expensive)Also Lakeside in Eastleigh has Steam Engine rides every weekend and every day during school holiday - a big favourite (Thomas often visits too).

I'm a Winchester girl ! where are you moving too Lulupop?

Things to do in Winchester
River park leisure centre has lots for children such as Creepy crawlies, Tots bop, ballet, ocean adventure(soft play area) swimming and all the usual leisure centre activities.

Winchester town centre has a lovely park called the Abbey Gardens where you can have nice picnics.
There are also loads of mother and toddler groups for your two year old.

Winchester is a lovely city with lots to do i'm sure you and your children will make lots of new friends.

There is a soft play centre in Andover called Jungle Jungle which is nice and small and aimed at the younger age group. Also \link{http://www.finkleydownfarm.co.uk\Finkley Down Farm} both on the Walworth T.E. Manor Farm Country Park is also nice, more Southampton Way, but has cycle tracks, walks, a mini farm, play areas, picnic areas, etc. It goes down to the River Hamble and there is a water taxi you can catch from the coast in summer. Lots of soft play areas in Basingstoke - try the local government website for more info - they are usually quite good at childrens info. HTH! And good luck with the move!

hey lulupop you didn't say where you moved to? I'm in Alresford.

Hi There,
I live about 5 miles from Winchester centre and find there to be loads going on in the area. Someone already mentioned Marwell Zoo, there's also Marwell adventure barn (soft play area). Chandlers Ford has a great venue called KidsToDay. Winchester has a great library (discovery centre) and the sports centre has creepy crawlies as well as several other activity sessions availble. Where i live there are loads of mum and toddler groups, in fact there are so many i don't have time to fit them in. I'm sure you'll settle in and find loads to do and people to meet in no time. My little ones just 14 months and my social life has quadroupled since having him due to all the local activity going on.
I hope this makes you feel better about your move. I think this is a lovely area and hope you think so too

I'm in Alresford too, there are a couple of playgroups for toddlers based here that run in term time and the local nursery is fab. Marwell Zoo is a favorite with my DD. We have an annual pass and we make good use of it! Its great to pop down for a couple of hours even in the really cold weather, lots of space for small people to run around and plenty of coffee stops for Mum! An annual pass also allows you priority entry on busy days, which is always helpful. The watercress line is always a hit with our nephew, its a restored stream railway that runs events throughout the year and if all else fails the ducks will always need feeding!

The Winchester NCT is very active and there is always stuff going on. As others have said, River Park is good for children, the soft play area, creepy crawlies, swimming etc. The library is good, they used to have a story time, but I haven't been for ages, since I returned to work. There are lots of playgroups/mum and todler groups running in Winchester and oodles of activities to join (swimming is a prime example).

Finkley Down Farm at Andover is great fun too, lots of animals for the children to see and swings and slides to play on.

I hope your move is/was OK and you have settled in - welcome to the area!

Welome to the area! Just to echo everyone else, really. Winchester is fantastically set up for young DCs.

We give another vote for soft play at Marwell Adventure Barn (for soft play with ace food - Google it; it's not at the zoo) or Ocean Adventure at River Park. Creepy Crawlies runs daily during term time at River Park, and there is Parent and Child swimming or Swiminis, depending on your children's ages. Swiminis is one swimming teacher to four 3 or 4 year olds, and you can make friends chatting with the other parents watching on the balcony while they make friends in the pool. Oh, and Gyminis is good there, too.

Marwell is expensive for single visits, but if you can persuade your parents to buy you an annual pass as a gift, it is relatively bargainatious.

The Abbey Gardens for picnics, the Discovery Centre for stories are also good.

Our NCT Branch has a lot going on: our monthly Bumps and Babies Coffee mornings are at the Salvation Army Hall in the Centre of town on the first Monday morning of the month - next one 19th January.

HTH.

Hi - we've also just moved to (just outside of) Winchester. I have a 2.5 year old and pregnant - due end of September.

I've got a few questions......

Does anyone know of any parks/ playgrounds that have a cafe in them?

Are there any antenatal excersize groups in the evenings?

We would love to meet local mums, dads and kids - maybe some of us new to the area should arrange to meet up, if you do - send me an email to [email protected]

Andover also has:
Archie's World - soft play area at the Leisure Centre - its pretty much town centre - easy to get to.

Tumble Tots at the Leisure Centre as well - I think on Tuesdays

The Library (Town Centre) does a Baby Bounce and Rhyme at least one afternoon a week.
Finkley Down is also great.

Lots of Mother and Baby groups etc - have you looked on Hantsfish?

Good Luck

Hello to all fellow mothers!
I live in Tyne and Wear and am lucky to have a local pub with a seperate play area which does mother and toddler sessions aswell as keeping older children entertained. it is value for money, to say the least, the girls are absolutely lush! and are great with my two wonderfull 7 and 3 yrs old. just thought i would share my great discovery with any fellow mothers living near me and that are desperate for somewhere to go with the rapidly approaching summer holidays. they've even got there own facebook page just type in Fuzzy ed's Magic Lantern and it has all the info! and you too could become a friend like me!
good luck!

It really depends where you've moved in relation to Winchester. Could recommend various village groups if you are also south :)